Vale- 2023, December

HARRIS | McGREGOR | LENEHAN | 

HARRIS, Gregory Vincent, 23 August 2023

Greg passed away in Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide after a short illness. He was 75 years old.

Greg’s early career as an ABC journalist gave him a life-long interest in reporting, story-telling and film.

He went to the then Territory of Papua and New Guinea, firstly as a volunteer for a brief time with a Catholic mission service, returning in June 1971 as Assistant Patrol Officer. He was on the Assistant Patrol Officer course 29 June 1971.

He served at Baiyer River and Tambul Patrol Posts in the Western Highlands District.

What is beyond any doubt is the fact his experiences made Greg into what he became later in life.

After leaving PNG in late 1974, he served in the Commonwealth Public Service in Adelaide, Darwin, Alice Springs and finally in ATSIC in Canberra.

Greg returned to work in Papua New Guinea with CARE Australia in 1998 and 1999 in the aftermath of the drought raging at the time. This was in part a small attempt to repay Papua New Guinea for what it had given him all those years ago.

Returning to study later in life, Greg graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Literature and Pacific History, Flinders University 1983; Bachelor of Laws, Macquarie University 1995; Grad Dip Legal Practice, ANU 1996; and Master of Arts, International Development, Flinders 2021 (completed in retirement).

In ATSIC, he played a role in the initial work to establish an indigenous television network, that later became National Indigenous Television, Channel 34. He contributed to the major report on implementing the NITV in 2002, that led to its establishment in 2007.

In 2013, the Australian Government awarded the Police Overseas Service Medal —TPNG Clasp, 2014 to kiaps for services rendered before 1975. Greg was one of the recipients of this medal.

Building on his previous experience in journalism and storytelling through film, Greg co-produced the KIAP – Stories Behind the Medal documentary DVD, which is available from the PNGAA. In the film, patrol officers reflect on their individual experiences of their time in TPNG. Greg produced this film to commemorate the story, the process and the occasion.

His experience in Papua New Guinea without the slightest doubt, formed his personality and character, and laid the foundation of the immensely productive, intellectual and morally courageous person his family and friends knew and admired. In his last days, he talked with great emotion about what Papua New Guinea had meant to him.

His lasting passion was a project to produce a commercial film on the work kiaps did, that was also intended to cement relationships between Australia and Papua New Guinea. He discussed this with a number of people in detail and had already engaged film production professionals to plan and assist his wife, Helen, in furthering this project.

Greg is survived by his wife Helen, who joined him in PNG when he returned in 1998. He will be remembered with love and respect by his extended family and friends.

Helen Prescott & Jim Moore

McGregor, The Venerable Marjorie AM, 17 September 2022

I am the youngest sister of Marjorie McGregor, who died on the 17 September 2022, two days before her 91st birthday. 

Marjorie was the eldest daughter of Private Sydney McGregor who went to Rabaul with Lark Force and who drowned on the Montevideo Maru.

Marjorie became the first female Anglican Archdeacon in Australia and was awarded the Order of Australia medal (AM) for her service to the Anglican Church of Australia.Helen Forsyth.

More Information can be found HERE.

LENEHAN, Irene15 September 2023

We note with regret the death of a long-standing member of the association, Irene Lenehan, on 15 September 2023 at Wyong Hospital. The sad news came in a letter to the editor from her son, Stephen Lenehan

 

To the Editor

My Mum died on 15 September 2023 in Wyong Hospital, aged 83. As you can understand, it’s been a terribly upsetting time for me and her daughter, Karena.

I’m not sure if Mum will qualify for an obituary in your great magazine, but I can tell you that Mum was a long-standing member of PNGAA since 1996 and really enjoyed reading Una Voce and PNG Kundu.

I’ve been going through her belongings in the past few weeks, packing up her unit and have found her entire treasured collection of your magazine.

Naturally, of course, she has treasured mementoes of her time in PNG as well, including great photos.

My Mum, Mrs Irene Lenehan, went to PNG to work in 1965, met my father in 1967 in Rabaul, married in 1968, gave birth to me in Lae in 1970, gave birth to my sister in Alotau in 1973 and we finished our time in PNG in Port Moresby and moved to Perth in 1976.

My Mum loved PNG and kept articles about the country for all the years after we left. She had a variety of jobs that she secured in different towns when my Dad, a police officer, got his latest transfer. Sadly, Dad died of cancer in 1987.

I can’t put together a detailed summary of Mum’s amazing life currently, but she was deeply loved by her children, her sisters and her parents. She loved to travel, learn and had wonderful memories of life in PNG which she frequently shared with me.

That’s all for now but I wanted to let you know that one of your long-time subscribers had died. If you would like more information about Mum’s life in PNG, give me a few months to put it together as it’s been a very emotional time for me since she died.

Thanks for your great magazine.

Kind regards,

Stephen Lenehanastralman@y7mail.com